You Do What You Believe

“Seven” is the theme of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation is a book of sevens.

God reveals the ultimate “Seven,” His Shabbat, at the conclusion of judgment and of this age.

God has continuously revealed truth to humanity. He has communicated powerfully with symbols, as they, like a picture, are worth a thousand words. A number is an abstract entity, a symbol or sign used to describe quantity or to ascribe position or relevance. Numbers have always been used as a reflection of reality in a quantitative form. Archaeologists have discovered that the first writings of man were found to be representations of numbers that indicated the count and transfer of products or animals in the ancient economy.

This system of revelation is inferred in the introduction of the Biblical meaning from the Book of Beginnings—Genesis—and is carried through the entire canon of Scripture. The first use of this number described the seven days of creation. It is a sweeping and defined reference to God’s intended and finished work resulting in rest and is carried through, inferred, and referenced throughout Scripture denoting completion, fullness, and rest. The final, complete, and full Word of God’s covenant story is revealed in this last book of the New Testament.

The naming of Biblical books has historically been derived from the initial word or words in the document resulting in its descriptive name. “Apocalypse” is an English transliteration of the original Greek word. “The Revelation,” a translation of this word, is the title given to the last book of the New Testament. It is God’s last word, His full disclosure leading to His promised rest. The completion, the fulfillment of all things, does not end in judgment but restoration.

In the next posts we will begin to see the pattern of sevens exploding into view and bringing clarity to God’s great unveiling in His powerful symbols. The repetition an emphasis on the number seven is seen throughout the book beginning with the overview of the seven visions that make up the book.